Page 30 of Million Dollar High

“Excuse me?”

“I’m trying hard to understand what’s going on in your head. You say you can’t be with me, but less than a minute ago you were purring in my arms, a millimeter away from being fucked. So it can’t be the sex. And I know it’s not Ashley because you know damn well how I feel about her. So the game changer has to be the kid.”

Her mouth worked for several seconds. “No, I don’t hate kids.”

“Then what the fuck is it?”

She glanced past him to that damn window again. Collected herself and gave a shrug so fake, he wanted to shake it off her.

“I’m twenty-three years old. Is it so wrong to believe that I don’t want to be saddled with a kid by proxy just yet?”

He called himself ten kinds of fool for allowing the words to rip into him. When the hell was he going to learn his lesson? Give up on her and move on?

Right fucking now was good.

“Understood. Goodbye, Leia.”

Bunching his fists, he shoved them into his pockets and strode to the window. She barely made a sound, but he knew the moment she left.

Ragged breaths chased through his chest as he collapsed into his chair. Almost against his will, he reached for the T-shirt and brought the cotton to his nose. He caught the faint scent of her perfume and crushed the material into his face.

With an angry curse, he yanked open his desk drawer but still he couldn’t let go. Not until her words crashed into his head one more time…

I don’t want to be saddled with a kid by proxy…

Promoting his status to three dozen kinds of fool, he tossed the T-shirt in the drawer and kicked it shut.

10

Right up until he walked through the doors of The Sphere in South Beach, three nights later, Noah contemplated cancelling on the guys. He would have, if he didn’t hate the thought of being alone even more.

He detested not being able to get Leia’s words out of his head. The worst thing was he didn’t believe her. But the more he tried to unravel what she wasn’t saying, the crazier he got running circles around himself. His world had descended into hell minutes after she’d walked out, starting with the realization that all she seemed to be doing since they’d landed in Miami was walk away from him.

His seriously grey mood had turned pitch-black this afternoon when Sam Ferranti had called to deliver the good news. Ashley could be charged and prospectively sent to jail for a long time.

Except for the minor issue of her carrying Noah’s first born and therefore remaining untouchable…

He’d snapped Maddie’s head off for interrupting him mid-thought. He’d calmed down enough to apologize and send herhome early. Then he’d toyed with calling it a day. But the idea of locking himself away in the minimalistic, soulless suite upstairs had made his head throb. So he’d called Hartford and arranged to meet him at the condos he’d shortlisted.

All three were top of the line, with enough space, privacy and security to suit his needs. But unable to settle on the one he wanted, he’d dismissed a puzzled Hartford, returned to his office and indulged in a stiff whiskey.

When Gabe’s reminder had popped up on his phone with an intuitive addendum that he wasn’t allowed to cancel, he’d growled and knocked back another stiff drink. Then endured a trip at the back of a cab with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him.

Fucking. Hell.

Walking into the bar, he immediately spotted Mike waving him over.

Damon had discovered The Sphere a couple of years ago by accident, when he’d stumbled into the place after a disastrous night with a blind date who’d turned out to be a call girl. He’d literally jumped out of a moving limo to avoid the hooker and called Mike. Mike had ribbed him mercilessly, then taken pity on him and rescued him from a back booth in The Sphere hours later.

That booth had become their personal drinking oasis ever since, reserved for their exclusive use come rain or shine.

Noah sprawled into the nearest seat, nodding thanks when their waitress set a chilled beer in front of him.

Gabe twirled his JD on rocks and eyed him. “You look like shit rolled up in garbage, my friend.”

Noah raised his bottle to him. “Thanks. You look fresh as a fucking daisy.”

Gabe cracked a haggard-faced smile and sipped his drink.Damon took a bite of the huge club sandwich in front of him, his glance swinging between them.

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